Abstract:A technique is given for measuring the MOS generation lifetime of minority carriers as a function of depth from the silicon wafer surface. The technique monitors a transient current instead of the more commonly utilized transient capacitance, and is capable of obtaining a whole in-depth lifetime profile in one measurement. Heat treated silicon wafers examined in this study exhibit a constant high lifetime close to the wafer surface, and the lifetime decreases toward the bulk. This is correlated to SiO2 precipitation and gettering behavior